Between today, Saturday, and tomorrow, Sunday, a whole year comes to an end, bringing with it a record of events, whether political, security, or military, locally, regionally, and even internationally. The presidential vacancy remains unfilled, and political harmony continues to be absent. The Free Patriotic Movement, which has distanced itself from both the legislative and executive powers, has completed its repositioning by ending the alliance with the party. Economically and financially, Riad Salameh has been absent from the scene. The government of President Najib Mikati has managed to endure the burdens of the situation, both good and bad, until the occurrence of the Al-Aqsa Flood and the opening of the southern front, which extends from a supportive position and remains open, bleeding alongside the unprecedented Palestinian suffering, in defense of a people that has chosen to resist and die defending its right to life, land, and the protection of holy sites and ancestral heritage, as stated in "Al-Liwaa."
In light of threats from senior Israeli military figures against Lebanon, there have been implications that removing the party from the south of the Litani should be achieved either through war or peace. Shortly after dawn, Israel targeted a civilian car on the Aitaroun-Bint Jbeil road with an airstrike that led to its incineration. The party responded by targeting a crane carrying surveillance equipment in the Dov Farm with appropriate weaponry, causing casualties according to the party's statements. A diplomatic source indicated that what has transpired in the south over the year reveals the depth of the Lebanese crisis's connection to the region's turbulent crises.
With the first Cabinet session scheduled for Thursday, January 4, 2024, or the following week, numerous files are piling up, whether relating to corruption, the return of schools to normalcy, administration, or increases in salaries and pensions for employees and retirees. Additionally, there is the appointment of a new Chief of Staff and a new Prosecutor General to succeed Judge Ghassan Awidat, who will retire. Among the pressing issues is financing for medications for cancer and chronic diseases, with the Ministry of Health joining the demonstration of those in need concerning these illnesses, with commitments to be opened in the next session to fund the purchase of medications.
Presidentially, the divorce between the party and the Free Patriotic Movement has become evident. The Lebanese Forces Party has stepped onto the stage, aiming to build alliances to extend the mandate and fulfill a similar role in ending the presidential vacancy, according to "Al-Liwaa." The party chairman, Samir Geagea, during the annual dinner for the "Aley Coordination Committee," stated, "We are fully prepared and will do everything we can. We have no personal interest in this matter, and we have one demand: that the next president be a president. We do not seek a specific personality or particular interest, nor are we looking for ministries or portfolios."
On the electricity front, Electricité du Liban issued a promise, which is feared to be analogous to previous promises. It stated in a statement yesterday that the shipment of fuel oil from Iraq expected to arrive on December 30, 2023, or December 31, 2023, upon arrival, will allow the institution to raise power supply to 520 megawatts, which will provide more hours for institutions and homes.
As is customary, the Lebanese tend to forget their worries and setbacks by going out to celebrate New Year's Eve, with 700 parties and events unveiled amid heightened security measures concerning speed, gunfire, or alcohol consumption when returning home, alongside information about lavish parties in five-star hotels in the capital and beyond.
Throughout the night and into the early morning hours, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew over Tyre District and the coastline up to the banks of the Litani River, while flares continued to be launched over border villages adjacent to the Blue Line and over the coastline opposite Naqoura and the town of Qulayla. Towns such as Ramia, Naqoura, Jabal al-Lubuna, Al-Amal, Dahira, Aita ash-Shaab, Shihine, Jabal Balat, Janin, Dibbin, and Al-Qouzah were subjected to artillery bombardment and a number of missiles (air-land) from drone flights, leading to the cutting of a secondary road in Ramia, and civil defense teams worked to remove the remnants of the attacks.
The Islamic Resistance stated that its fighters targeted the Roiseh Al-Qarn area in the Shebaa Farms and the enemy soldiers' positions between Zrarin Barracks, the Risha Basin area, Ramia, and Marj site. Israeli Channel 14 reported that "the military leadership will continue its operations in Lebanon as currently and will carry out some limited strikes in Syria." It clarified that "the leadership sees that this is a time to focus solely on the Gaza War, and it cannot open multiple fronts at the same time right now." According to the channel, "In the distant future, if the party does not agree to diplomatically distance itself from the borders, opening a war against it would be a logical matter."
